Existence of selection rules on helicity during discrete transitions of the genome conformational state of E. coli cells exposed to low-level millimetre radiation

Abstract

To study the influence of polarized electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on the genome conformational state of Escherichia coli cells exposed to X-rays, the method of anomalous viscosity time dependence (AVTD) was applied. The influence of low level radiation (10–200 μW/cm2) was studied within the ranges 41.25–41.50 GHz and 51.62–51.84 GHz, within which microwaves produce a resonance effect, as had been previously demonstrated. The effectiveness of left- and right-handed polarized radiation was shown to be determined by its frequency. At 41.26, 41.32 and 41.40 GHz, left-handed polarized EMR produced considerable changes in AVTD peaks in lysates of X-rayed cells, while right-handed polarized radiation had no effect at these frequencies. Conversely, right-handed polarized millimetre waves proved to be effective when cells were affected by EMR at 51.76 and 51.78 GHz (from the second resonance studied by us), while left-handed polarization had virtually no effect. Therefore the effective circularly polarized component of EMR within a given resonance remains unchanged and is determined by the resonance frequency. This finding corresponds to the physics of discrete states in living systems, and illustrates the presence of selection rules on helicity during transitions between these states in the millimetre band of electromagnetic field.